1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the discharge arrangement used on an axially arranged rotary separator for more uniformly distributing the discharged crop material other than grain in a transverse swath out the rear of the combine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural combines are large machines that harvest, thresh, separate and clean an agricultural crop. The resulting clean grain is stored in a grain tank located on the combine. The clean grain can then be transported from the grain tank to a truck, grain cart or other receiving bin by an unloading auger.
Axially arranged rotary combines have one or two large axial crop processing units located along the longitudinal axis of the machine for threshing and separating the harvested crop material. These axial crop processing units are provided with an infeed section for receiving harvested crop material, a threshing section for threshing the harvested crop material received from the infeed section and a separating section for freeing grain trapped in the threshed crop material received from the threshing section, and a discharge section for discharging crop other than grain out of the axial crop processing unit.
The harvested crop is delivered to the infeed section by the feederhouse. The crop is arranged in a crop mat which the infeed elements of the rotor need to take up and rotate into a helical flow. The helical flow of crop material moves from the infeed section to the threshing section and then to the separating section. Grain together with chaff located in the crop material is removed from the axial crop processing units by falling through grates located at the bottom of the units. Crop material other than grain, such as straw, enters the discharge section of the crop processing units from the separating section. The discharge section then expels the crop material other than grain out the rear of the combine or directs this material to a straw chopper located at the rear of the combine.
It is important to distribute the crop material other grain in a uniform transverse swath out the rear of the combine to better manage crop residue on the ground. Currently axially arranged rotary combines used specialized discharge elements on the rotor for directing the crop material to a transverse beater. It is difficult for this type of discharge arrangement to have both excellent material discharge characteristics and excellent transverse distribution in a wide variety of crops and crop conditions. Usually either the combine has excellent material discharge characteristics and marginal transverse distribution or vice versa.